Frozen: Targets
by Jigsaw13327
Summary: Six months after the events of Frozen: Demons, a series of attempts on Elsa's life leave the kingdom shaken, and the royal family in need in answers. Anna, Kristoff, Elsa, and Nuri are quickly caught in a web of deception and murder, and all the while, the Demon of the North Mountain patiently bides his time... Rated T for action-adventure peril.
1. A Dark Deal

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

_This is a sequel to my other fan fiction, Frozen: Demons. If you haven't read that yet, I recommend you do. _

_This fan fiction considers OUAT to be non-canon, as before._

_There are also cues to listen to particular pieces of music that I think enhances the story. These are optional, but they are pretty cool. Or so I think._

_This fan fiction will also be constantly revised/updated. If you notice any mistakes, please PM me. I'm pretty nuts about typos._

_And again, special thanks to Walt Disney Animation Studios for wrecking my life with this film. I hate you guys (not really, I love your work)._

* * *

_Well, I never really thought that you'd come tonight_

_While the crown hangs heavy on either side_

_Give me one last kiss while we're far too young to die_

_Far too young to die._

**Panic! At The Disco **

_I remember black skies, the lightning all around me..._

**Linkin Park**

_Fair is foul, and foul is fair._

**Macbeth, Act I, Scene I**

* * *

Prologue:

A Dark Deal

_(Zam the Assassin, John Williams) _

In the shadows of a dank meeting room, the fate of Queen Elsa of Arendelle was being sealed. Two figures dressed in metal armor stood in front of a man cloaked in darkness. This man of shadow was sitting down in a small wooden chair, in which he shifted about uncomfortably. He had finished speaking to the two in front of him.

"So will you do this job? I have given all the information I know of. There's bound to be an element of randomness to this mission-"

One of the figures, a big, burly man with a thick, greasy mane of hair, spoke. "I do not mind that. We are prepared for any situation conceived. This shall be a clean job, I give you that." The shadow-man wagged a finger. "Don't sound so sure of yourself, good sir. She has ice powers, and a sister who would give anything for her. This 'clean job' could be anything but that."

The man smiled a fearsome grin. "I am a professional. So is she" he said, gesturing to the other figure. The woman spoke up, a hint of a smirk on her lips: "I am. Sir, I have seen things and done things that would give you nightmares." There was a beat of silence between the three, then the darkness spoke up: "So. It is settled then, is it not? Fifty thousand coins for her head, double the reward if you bring the sister's as well." The man contemplated this for a moment before replying: "You really must want these people dead. What they did to you?" The shadow only waved his hand. "It is no matter. I just want this done. You are excused."

The two figures standing bowed before the darkness, turned around, and strode out of the room. The shadow waited for the door to fall shut before cackling loudly. Finally, the child was going to pay for interfering with his plans.


	2. A Day of Mourning

**Sorry for the wait, guys! I have been busy this entire week. Here it is now!**

* * *

I

A Day of Mourning

The Arendelle royal chapel was deserted at on a crisp, dark winter morning, save for one figure. Elsa knelt down at the altar, head bowed, hands clasped in prayer. Tears were silently rolling down her cheeks. Today... today was the day her parents left and never came back. She remember how it was when the servants had knocked on her door and told her the news. She remembered the flurries that came with the news. She had been practicing her powers, waiting for them to get back so she could prove to them that, yes, she didn't need the gloves, and only then she could normal again.

The news had shattered all of that. She had lost control of her powers, she recalled, tears streaming down her face like a waterfall now. Her bedroom had completely frozen then. Any attempts she had made at defrosting it failed until the Great Thaw, when everything fell back into place. She unclasped her hands, steadying herself against the base of the altar as she sobbed hard and loud. Her cries her so loud it drowned out the footsteps behind her. Vision blurring, she wiped her snotty nose with the back of her sleeve, then stopped and turned around as someone put his hand on her shoulder.

It was Nuri Yadin, former king of Arat. He had arrived last night on a small frigate. He told the royal family that the people of Arat had been tired of kings, even with all of the things Nuri had done to mend his father's legacy. They had "peacefully" thrown him out of power, after presenting an idea for a form of self-government they called "democracy."

"They said they learned it from books by their ancestors. I read a few. Turns out that this 'democracy' idea's been floating around for a very long time. Anyways, to make a long story short, I decided that they should rule themselves, especially after what my father did. So I grabbed a few things, and came here." Kristoff had frowned, but Anna, ever cheerful, spoke up: "We have a guest bedroom nobody's used in forever. I'll send somebody to clean it up. I can show you it." He had bowed, and followed Anna up the flight of stairs.

Dragged back into the present, she looked up into his puzzled face. "What are you doing here at this hour, milady?" He noticed her water-streaked face, and his expression softened. "Are you alright, Elsa?" She shook her head no, and started to feel her eyes water again. "This... this is day my... p-p-parents-" She didn't even finish the sentence before breaking out into a fresh round of sobbing. Shushing her gently, Nuri grabbed her by the waist, and began to rock her gently in her arms. And there they stood, as time slowed, cradling one another, two broken souls in search of happiness.

After a minute, Nuri let go and placed a finger upon her lips. "We best get back to our beds, before somebody notices we're gone." He snickered a little bit at the thought. Elsa caught onto the joke. "Yeah, and they send half of the town looking for us." They both giggled insanely, and quietly, the two tiptoed out of the royal chapel.

* * *

A few hours later, Elsa awoke to the sound of someone beating upon her bedroom door. She got out of bed, strode to the door, and opened it. It was Anna, dressed all in black, staring at her intensely. "Are you ready?" Anna asked. Elsa nodded solemnly. The two held hands, and walked down the hall. On the way, they met Olaf and Sven, skulking around near the stairs. Olaf gazed up at the two sisters. "Man, this is going to be sad" he told Sven. The reindeer grunted in agreement and the two followed Anna and Elsa down the stairs and outside. Kristoff and Nuri were standing by the main gate, Kristoff adjusting his bowtie as though it were a hangman's noose and Nuri glancing all around. Kristoff stopped and watched as Anna walked up to him, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Kristoff quickly embraced her as tear began to water began to leak into her jacket.

_(Funeral March Sonata No. 2 in B Flat Minor. Op 35, Frederic Chopin)_

Anna stopped and looked up at him with big wet eyes. They kissed, and Elsa couldn't help but roll her eyes. Just then, Elsa heard a soft prancing of hooves outside on the cobblestones. She cleared her throat, and everybody looked at her. "I believe the carriage has arrived." The group of six walked outside the gate, and Elsa bunched up as she was hit with a gust of strong wind. It seemed that the weather had picked up immensely, probably due to her emotional state. Standing outside the castle was a massive black carriage. Two cloaked drivers, oblivious to the weather, sat on top and commanded a team of four horses. The men helped the women enter the carriage, and then got in themselves, and shut the door. The two drivers cracked the team into action, and the carriage started forward. Olaf climbed onto Sven's back, and followed the carriage to its destination: the graveyard.

* * *

After an hour of silence, Nuri felt the carriage begin to slow. After a few seconds, it completely stopped. Anna peered out the window and shook her head. They were here. The drivers opened the doors quickly and let the four out. Behind the carriage, Olaf dismounted Sven and waddled into the group. The drivers nodded wordlessly, and suddenly, Elsa was filled with a cold fear. She hadn't visited her parents' graves until after the Great Thaw, and for that, she felt terrible. Swallowing her fear, Elsa forced her legs to walk towards the two large stones at the far side of the graveyard. Anna caught up to her, and the others soon after that. And finally, Elsa found herself standing in front of her parents' graves. The stones were inscribed:_ King Adgar and Queen Idun. May they forever rest in peace _in the old tongues. Elsa and Anna knelt down, and Anna produced a bouquet of flowers. She lay them on the ground, and began crying again. Elsa put her arm around her, and joined in.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the royal family, the carriage had not gone far. It stood on a hill about a hundred feet from the graveyard. Standing on top of it were two figures in cloaks. One threw off his hood, revealing a mane of thick, greasy black hair. His companion, a woman with hair the color of earth, stood next to him. Dahmin Voss, the legendary assassin, gestured towards her. "Our client has nothing to fear. This will be easy." His companion, Zola Martier, she of the thousand nightmares, nodded. "It is a good plan, Dahmin. Did you bring your-"

"Of course I brought it. I'm not THAT stupid" he replied, unslinging his specially-made crossbow. His crossbow was special because it had a miniature spyglass attached to the top, allowing Dahmin to make precise shots. Like the one he was about to make. He leveled the crossbow, and trained it on the Snow Queen's kneeling head. He steadied himself, took in a deep breath, and pulled the trigger.


	3. Protecting the Queen

II

Protecting the Queen

Elsa did not know something was wrong until she heard an arrow whizz by her head, slicing the air near her right ear. She turned and saw the pommel drive itself deep into Olaf's midsection. He flew backwards, and Anna let loose a scream as another arrow cut through the air, striking one of the tombstone markers. Elsa tried to cry out, but was knocked off her feet and smothered by Nuri, who tackled her to the ground and covered her. Kristoff grabbed Anna's arm and took cover behind the large stones. Sven rolled Olaf out of the way, who was trying to unlodge the arrow in his chest, and then dragged Elsa and Nuri behind the other stone.

Olaf was still fiddling with the arrow stuck in him. "Oh look. I've been impaled. Again" he said as he pushed the arrow in one way, then the other. Kristoff looked over at the magical snowman and stared. "Don't you feel anything?" he asked. Olaf looked at him dumb-struck. "Nope!" he replied, and finally got the arrow out of him. Nuri peered over the side of the stone. "I think it stopped." He looked over at Elsa. "Why do you think they were trying to kill you. I mean, I think they were trying to aim for you, considering it hit Olaf." At this, the snowman piped up. "I'm okay guys, really!" A ghost of a grin touched his lips. Elsa mentally ran through a list of people in her head. "I can't think of anybody who would want to... kill me. The townspeople actually like me, and I can't think of anyone else. Not off the top of my head."

Just then, as almost on cue, the carriage pulled up. Anna ran out to it, nearly in hysterics, and threw open the door. The others followed her, and Olaf and Sven followed the carriage as it tore away from the graveyard.

* * *

On the front of the carriage, Dahmin was cursing under his breath. How could he have missed? He had her in his sights, and everything. Could it have been the wind? Now that he thought about it more, the wind had definitely picked up more. Yes, that was most likely the answer. Zola sat next to him, silent, unmoving. Her mind was going through the motions, trying to figure out new plans. They had both agreed not to kill them in a head-on assault in the carriage because the two men could easily overpower them. No, they needed to be more cunning.

They both were broken out of their thoughts by the fact that they had arrived back at the castle gates. They let their frightened passengers out and drove away. As they entered the town, driving past townpeople going about their business, Zola spoke up: "Did you notice how large the ledges are on the castle?" Dahmin pondered the statement for a the moment, then replied. "What do you mean?" he asked. "I could sneak through the queen's bedroom window. It's pretty big. And I'm pretty good at climbing. Remember Corona?"

"Yes, but Ryder still got away" he told her, thinking of the good old days. "That wasn't my fault! He was such a charmer, though..." she replied, a dreamy look on her face. He punched her in the arm. "It's risky, but it's worth a shot. Let's wait until nightfall for this." Dahmin looked down at the carriage. "We have to ditch this." He ducked the carriage into an alley, and the two assassins jumped off. They took off their cloaks and threw them into the back of the carriage. They were wearing peasant dresses over their armor, and they blended into the crowds heading towards the castle.

* * *

_Later that night..._

The royal family was sitting in the living room, the only noise the sound of the roaring fire. "Why do you think somebody would be trying to kill you?" Nuri asked. Anna thought about it, then said: "Possibly to rule. That's what... _he _wanted to do." In the back of her mind, she could picture him, lying on the floor of Elsa's bedroom, his neck gushing bright red, her sister splattered in it. Elsa thought about it, then agreed. "Who, though, is completely beyond me." She stood up. "I think I'm going to bed. It's been a long day." She left the living room, walked up the stairs, and headed down the hallway for her bedroom. She opened the door, slipped into her nightgown, and fell asleep almost instantly.

Back in the living room, Nuri and Kristoff were talking. "I've posted extra guards to protect the queen. No assassins would try the front gates" Kristoff told him. Nuri shifted uneasily in his seat. "Something doesn't feel right. I don't know what it is, but something's off." He, along with Anna, rushed upstairs towards Elsa's bedroom

* * *

Zola clutched the window-latch in one hand, and a dagger in the other. She was so far up now that she didn't want to think about falling off. Slowly sliding open the window-latch, she stuck one foot off of the ledge and onto the floor. Slowly, she shut the door, and quietly tiptoed over to the Queen's bed. And there she lay, still, unmoving, completely unaware of the spectre of death hanging above her. Just as Zola raised the knife, the door flew open, and there stood two figures in the doorway.


	4. The Chase

III

The Chase

Anna took one glance hovering above her sister with dagger in hand, and lunged. The assassin fell backwards, startled, and placed her hand against the window, slipping outside onto the ledge. Elsa bolted upright in her bed, and Nuri strode over to her, laying a hand on her shoulder to calm her. "Stay here!" Anna called out, and poked her head out of the window. She spotted the would-be assassin climbing up a drainpipe towards the roof. Gingerly, she placed her slippered foot on the ledge. It was extremely slippery, but Anna braved it anyway. She shuffled over towards the drainpipe, telling herself not to look down. She found the drainpipe, and clambered up it the best she could. At the top, she grasped the ledge, hoisted herself up, and found herself to be on the roof of the castle.

_(Jango's Escape, John Williams) _

The assassin turned, saw her standing there, and broke out into a sprint. "STOP!" Anna cried out, running after her. They were sprinting on a flat strip of roof surrounded on both sides by sloping tiles and thin metal struts for support. Suddenly, the assassin turned around and swung the dagger. Anna jumped back, nearly losing her balance. The assassin charged again, but Anna wrapped her arms around the assassin's stomach and headbutted her. She grunted in pain, and was knocked onto her back, dropping the dagger in the process. She kicked Anna in the face, knocking her backwards. She tasted warm coppery blood in her mouth, and groaned. The assassin fumbled to get her dagger. Anna spotted a loose iron support and scooped it up just as the assassin brought her dagger to bear. Utilizing skills from her weapons class, Anna, holding the bar like a staff, blocked the attack. She then thrust the bar into the assassin's face, rocking her back on her heels.

The assassin swung again. Anna parried the blow, and jabbed one end of the heavy bar into the assassin's left knee. This time she cried out in pain as something snapped like a dry twig. The assassin fell to her kness, nursing her wounded knee, when Anna swung the bar like a baseball bat. It connected with the assassin's cheek, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She pitched forward, dagger spilling from her hands, and Anna caught her by the shoulders. The dagger slid onto the tiles, and Anna watched as it slid off the roof, landing somewhere the gods only knew. She heard footsteps behind her, and glanced over her shoulder as Kristoff jerkily climbed up the drainpipe and stepped onto the roof. Anna raised a hand. "Got our assassin. She put up a bit of a fight. Can you help me get her down?"

Kristoff took one look at the incapacitated assassin, frowning. "Give her to me." Using all of her strength, Anna lifted the assassin and thrust her into his arms. He lifted her over his shoulder, and started to head back down the drainpipe towards Elsa's room. It was a tense few minutes, with Kristoff teetering on the ledges precariously. Finally, he stepped through the window and breathed a sigh of relief. Slowly, he lay the still assassin on the door. Guards were in the room. Kristoff looked up at them and spoke: "Go downstairs and check the gates. I want no one in or out right now." The guards bowed and took their leave just as Anna slipped back through the window.

Elsa and Nuri were sitting together on the bed, his arm around her shoulders. She was resting her head against his chest. From underneath his hand, Kristoff felt the assassin begin to stir. "Honey, get me a chair. Quickly." Frantically, Anna pulled up Elsa's desk chair and set it next to Kristoff. He transferred the awakening assassin into the chair. Looking around, he shooed the couple off of the bed, and pulled off the sheets. He then quickly knotted them around the assassin's arms and legs just as soon as she awoke. Her eyes flew open, and her mouth curled into a snarl.

"I was beaten... by a princess?" she asked angrily. Anna smirked. "Honey, I'm not your everyday princess." Elsa ignored the banter, and placed herself in front of the assassin. "Do you know who you were trying to kill?" she asked, anger rising in her stomach. "Yes. You" the assassin said. "Who hired you?" Elsa asked. The assassin was silent, then mumbled: "The old guy was right. It wasn't a clean one." Anger took hold of Elsa. "WHO HIRED YOU?!" she screamed. The assassin looked up into Elsa's eyes, almost pleadingly: "Fine. It was the D-"

She never finished her sentence. The window behind her exploded into a shower of glass that rained down upon the room. Anna screamed in surprise while Kristoff shielded her from the debris. Elsa raised a sleeve, then glanced up at their captive. Her jaw was slack, eyes glass marbles in their sockets. Jutting out of her skull was a single arrow. Elsa looked behind the dead assassin and to the rooftops. She could faintly make the outline of a shadow out, and then, as almost to confirm her suspicions, the shadow moved, and faded into darkness.

Without any thought or pretext, Elsa reached inside the dead woman's peasant dress, and found herself clutching a small tube of parchment. Cautiously, she unrolled it. The parchment read:

_To Zola Martier and Dahmin Voss:_

_Fifty thousand coins for the Snow Queen's head. Double for the sister's as well._

Beneath the kill orders was a name signed in a stagnant flourish. Elsa had never hoped to see this name again, or even think about it. She remembered him well from the coronation, how he had tried to dance with her and ended up dancing with Anna instead. She remembered the men he sent after her, who almost had killed her in her own ice palace. The kill orders were signed: _The Duke of Weaselton_


	5. Salvage

IV

Salvage

Dahmin sunk into the darkness of the night, skulking the quiet streets of the town. He still couldn't get over the fact that his long-time partner was dead at his own hand. From a professional standpoint, he knew that she could've given away the name of their client, and in this business, most of the clients prefered to keep their identities in shadow. But the human side of him was crying out in pain. It seemed to whisper _You killed her_ over and over again in his mind. He had gunned her down like a dog in the street, and this is what he was doing? Abandoning the contract just because it was in shambles? Zola wouldn't have wanted him to do that. No, she would want him to finish this job once and for all.

Without thinking, he stripped his peasant dress off and let it flutter onto the cobblestone street. He abruptly turned around, unsheathing his sword and crossbow, ready to finish what he had started. He grinned. The Snow Queen was never going to know what hit her.

* * *

She was lying on her back. Light filled her vision, and then receded. Elsa tried to raise a hand to block the light, but she found that she couldn't move them. She tried her feet, but they wouldn't budge either. As her vision cleared, she found that she couldn't speak either. Somebody had placed a leather mask over her mouth and nose, and all that she could hear when she spoke were muffled grunts.

She was back here again, stuck in this never ending nightmare. A shadow fell across her vision, and it was Hans the night of his death, still clutching the crossbow. He pressed it against her temple. "Long live the Queen" he muttered, and she saw his finger tighten on the trigger. Suddenly, he was thrown aside and there stood Anna. She leaned forward and began to work at Elsa's restraints. She stopped halfway through, puzzled, and then Elsa saw the sword sticking out of her sister's stomach. Her eyes rolled up into the back of her head, and she fell forward onto the still captive Elsa. Elsa started screaming as the last thing she saw before blacking out was the Sorcerer's malignant face on her young sister's body.

* * *

Elsa awoke, a scream on the crest of her lips. Ever since the kidnapping, her dreams, already dark to begin with, got even worse. And now, with these assassins after her head, she guaranteed that her dreams were going to get worse. And she was right. But there was no time to think about that. The Duke was the main priority. Elsa had alerted the royal council for a meeting tomorrow morning. She glanced over at her broken window. Kristoff and Nuri had moved the body out of the room. For all Elsa knew, they were both asleep. Her heart ached at the mention of Nuri. Suddenly, there was an intense knocking at the door. Elsa clambered out of the bed, and opened the door. It was Gerda, and her face told Elsa everything she needed to know.

"What's happened?" she asked. Just then, the darkness behind her flickered, and her face went slack. Elsa gasped as a pommel poked its way out of her chest. She gurgled blood, collasped to her knees, and fell over with a thump. There stood the second assassin, crossbow in one hand, sword in the other. Elsa didn't think, but acted. The assassin swung his sword, Elsa raised her arms and created a sword of ice. The two connected with a screeching clang, and the fight began in earnest.

The assassin lowered Elsa's guard and socked her in the face, launching her backwards. She recovered, and brought the sword to bear, nicking the assassin on the shoulder. He grunted and knocked the sword out of her hand. It landed on the floor and shattered. Before she could defend herself, the assassin threw down his own sword and charged directly at her. Elsa realized what he was planning to do. _No,_ she thought as he tackled her into the window behind her. It shattered, and the two were in free-fall. Elsa threw an icy blast at his face. He released his hold on her, and she turned to face the quickly rising ground.

Thrusting both hands in front of her, Elsa summoned all of her magic and focused it into one pile of soft, cushy, snow. She landed in it with a thump, and poked her head out of the pile. The assassin was not so lucky. He reached for an alcove and missed, fingers grazing the edge of it. He plummeted without a sound to the cobblestone streets. His body connected with a large wet _SPLAT! _She looked away and towards the castle, where it had been rudely awoken by the crashing glass. Guards rushed out of the castle, and leading them was Anna in her pink flowing nightgown.

The first thing she saw was the pile of snow, and then the body of the assasssin. Her first thought was _Really? Twice in one night? _She ran over to the snow pile and helped Elsa climb out of it. They embraced just as Kristoff and Nuri sprinted over to where they were standing. Kristoff looked over and voiced the opinion on everyone's mind: "We have got to find a solution to this. _Now._"


	6. Out of the Frying Pan

V

Out of the Frying Pan...

The next morning, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Nuri sat at the breakfast table, silently mulling the eventful night. After pancakes and syrup were passed around, Elsa took time in between mouthfuls to explain her idea. "We have to confront the Duke about this. I say that I must go and face him, get him to confess to his crimes against the state." Nuri thought about it, swallowed, then spoke: "No. If this Duke was after your head, it would not be wise to present it to him."

Elsa gaped. "Are you suggesting that I go into hiding?" Nuri shook his head. "No. I'm saying that you should send... an ambassador, perhaps. Someone who can reason with the Duke and be tactful. Someone who always sees the good in everyone." As if on cue, both of their heads rotated towards Anna, who was cramming a particularly large portion of pancakes in her mouth.

_"Whooff, mmeh?" _She asked through the barrier of sticky cakes. Kristoff frowned and instantly replied. "I will go with her." He turned towards the slowly protesting Anna. "Sorry, honey, but I want to help you stay out of trouble, something everybody in this family has a hard time with." Anna swallowed her food and faced her sister "When are we leaving?" Elsa thought for a few moments, then replied solemnly: "Today. I want this problem resolve as fast as it can be, before it escalates any further." Kristoff nodded, then looked at his wife. "We better pack our things, then."

* * *

Several hours later, after what seemed like the entire castle was packed away into two small bags, Anna and Kristoff stood at the top of the gangplank, waving goodbye to everybody. Elsa ran up to her sister and embraced her for the longest time, as Sven nudged Kristoff in the shoulder pleadingly. "No buddy, I'm sorry, but you can't come. Somebody's gotta keep the Queen out of trouble" he told the reindeer with a wink in his eye. This earned him an icy glare and a playful punch from Elsa. The couple exchanged one last glance and then turned and went belowdecks to settle into their new home. The ship raised anchor, and began to sail away from the dock, leaving only Elsa, Nuri, Olaf, and Sven to watch to sink into the horizon.

Back in the castle, several hours later, Elsa and Nuri sat in the living room, his arm placed gingerly around her shoulders. She was all snuggled up against his side when something wracked her stomach. Elsa felt something fluttering in her stomach, and it from the way the feeling set her stomach on fire, it was not fear. She clutched Nuri's shoulder. He instantly turned and saw the pain in her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked. Elsa open her mouth to speak and replied with a spray of blood to Nuri's face.

_(Danse Macabre, Saint Saens)_

"By the gods!" he shrieked, lifting Elsa into his arms. Nuri looked at Olaf and Sven, whose eyes were as big as grapefruits. "Get a doctor, please!" he commanded. They glanced at each other, then took off running. He laid her on the ground and pried her mouth wide open. Her eyes rolled up into her head, and she began quivering violently as another geyser of blood shot up, drenching Nuri's suit. He didn't know what to do, and just about as he was to administer rescue breathing before he noticed black mist drifting lazily out of her chest. The mist floated over to beside Elsa, and just floated there as Elsa stopped shaking. Nuri turned and saw the mist beginning to take... a human shape. With a sickening feeling rising in his chest, Nuri finally realized what was going on.

A woman began to fade into the black mist. A bluish-green ice dress flowed loosely. Her face was a lot like Elsa's, except the eyes were green, not blue, and there was more of a mischievous look to her. But what really defined her was the jet-black hair that shot backwards from her head into one big point. Asle had returned. She glanced down at Nuri and Elsa, who was finally beginning to recover. Nuri knelt in a state of shock. "Oh. It's you" she said. Elsa weakly sat up. "You... you didn't take my powers." Asle smiled. "No, I didn't. You see, with all that time spent in you, I developed powers of my own, so I didn't have to steal yours. But I'm not here to explain to you everything.

"No, I'm here to warn you. You are still in danger. The Duke of Weaselton isn't the only thing out there that wants your head, Elsa. I feel the Demon stirring once more, and he won't be easy to put down this time."

Elsa and Nuri shot each other looks of concern. Finally, Elsa spoke. "The Demon's coming back? After all that happened?" In her mind, she heard a raspy voice whisper _I will show you fear in a handful of dust._ The voice of a dead man.

"Yes. And I also fear for your sister and her husband, the ice man. Since your last meeting, the Duke has gotten paranoid and obsessed with Arendelle. He has become a dictator, and I doubt he will welcome your sister and jer husband with open arms. More likely, his ships will open fire if he spots the Arendelle flag flying." Elsa gapsed. "You lie. He would not dare" she stated. Alse only shook her head. "May the gods have mercy on your sister" she said. Elsa turned to Nuri, eyes wide with fear. "We have to go after them, before anything happens. I am not going to lose my sister again."

* * *

Anna stood on the bow of the ship, letting the wind blow through her hair. She was going on an adventure, for once in her life, finally getting out of the castle and into somewhere unknown. Well, it wasn't exactly _unknown_, but it was close enough. She closed her eyes and focused on the task at hand. How was she going to convince the Duke to stop trying to kill her sister. Her concentration was broken by a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, turned around, and saw her husband standing there, smiling. "Are you alright?" he asked. She smiled back and said: "Yeah. Just thinking of what to say to the Duke."

Suddenly, the boat shook violently, knocking the couple down. Anna brushed her hair out of her eyes and stood up, only to see three boats surrounding them. All of the ships were flying a blue flag with a black weasel on it, teeth bearing down viciously. A plank was dropped onto the ship, and Anna saw three soldiers clad in black armor. The captain of the Arendelle ship, a greasy fellow with crooked teeth by the name of Bids approached the soldiers. "What's going on 'ere?" he asked.

"In the name of the Duke of Weaselton, we are placing these two-" gesturing to Anna and Kristoff "-under arrest." Bids thought for a moment, then replied. "You can't do that! These 'ere are ambassadors! From Arendelle. Please, sir, we mean no 'arm!" Bids was cut off my a swinging sound that seperated his head from his body. Anna screamed as she was seized from behind. "Kill the crew and burn the ship! The Duke wants these two alive" spoke the lead soldier. Anna got one last glimpse of chaos before her world was darkened by a black bag. She felt something strike the back of her neck, and she knew no more.


	7. Into the Fire

VI

Into the Fire

_(Binary Sunset/ Duel of the Fates (Reprise), John Williams)_

Elsa, Nuri, and Asle stood on the gangplank of a ship, waving goodbye to the kingdom. Olaf and Sven watched the three. "Don't worry, guys! I promise not to screw anything up!" Olaf called to them. Elsa smiled at him through her fear, and clutched Nuri's hand tight. She waved once more as the ship began to pull away. When the docks were finally fading into the distance, Elsa turned to her companions and spoke: "Be prepared for a fight. If anything thing Asle said is true, we are not welcome." Nuri and Alse both nodded, and three went belowdecks to prepare for the journey ahead.

A few hours later, Elsa came abovedecks to find Nuri sitting on the bow staring out into the slowly dying Sun. She walked to him silently and placed her hands on his shoulders. He snapped out of his thoughts, turned and smiled. She smiled back, her face growing hot. He was always so warm to touch. Probably due to his fire powers. _Wait, _she thought, _how come he hasn't used his fire powers in, like, forever? _She thought about asking him, but mentally decided that the question was too personal. There was probably a good reason behind it. "I still love you" he said. "I love you too" she replied. "Look, I know this is really awkward, but I haven't been using my powers, because I haven't found a good time to use them."

"Oh look. They're in love" a voice called out mockingly. The couple spun around and Asle standing there, a ghost of a smirk on her lips. Nuri became enraged. "Why you little..." he said, sparking a flame in her hand. Suddenly, Asle began to quiver and fell onto the deck. Elsa and Nuri both quickly knelt on either side of her.

"Asle!" Elsa cried out. Alse raised her head and spoke in a deep monotone voice that Elsa had no trouble remembering: "_I will kill you, Snow Queen and Fire King. Mark my words. You cannot run from your demise, for not even the gods can escape pure darkness._" Her head fell again and she passed out. The queen of ice and the king of fire looked at each other, fear gleaming in their eyes. Without warning, Asle bolted upright and gasped for air as though she had been drowning. She looked at her two friends. "Asle. When did you learn to do that?" Elsa asked. Alse looked directly at Elsa and said: "That wasn't me."

"The Demon" Nuri almost whispered. "I think I still have some form of link to him, that monster" Asle said. "I can feel his emotions, his plans. He's coming. And he is not happy."

* * *

Darkness. Then, blurred motions in the corners of her eyes. She opened her eyes slowly, revealing the grinning, malevolent face of the Duke. His white hair was frizzled everywhere on the top of his head, and his beady little eyes squinted through glasses precariously perched on top of his nose. Anna realized where she was, and tried to lunge at her captor. Her arms were locked in manacles attached to the wall behind her. She was in a musty, dank dungeon. Kristoff was nowhere to be seen. Anna tried her lips, but found that they seemed to have been rusted shut. Finally, she spoke: "Where... is my husband?"

"He is... separate from you, milady" he spoke in a pompous, smug voice that attacked Anna's ears like a swarm of angry bees. "It would be safer. No young loves making plans to escape. Not that you could" he said. "Why-" she asked, but was cut off. "No one, _no one,_ denies me anything. If I want a trade partnership with a country, say, Arendelle, I get it. Your sister denied me and made me a laughing stock. And she is a monster. No one like that deserves to live."

"No one like you deserves to live, you scum-sucking gearbag" Anna replied, and spit in his face. The Duke wiped out the spit with one gloved hand, and then slapped her straight across the face. The slap rattled her jaw and stung her cheek, but it did not lessen her courage. "You will regret messing with us, Duke. We both have powerful friends." The Duke only grinned again. "Let's hope your friends can fly here, milady. I have set you and your husband's execution for tomorrow afternoon in the Royal Weaselton Arena, for trespassing with harmful intent." And with that, he strode out of the dungeon, shoes clicking against the stones.

* * *

_(A Night on Bald Mountain, Modest Mussorgsky)_

Back in Arendelle, business that had been proceeding normally came to a grinding halt as people watched the tip of the North Mountain in a mixture of fear and awe. A while after the Queen left, a small boy had glanced up at the North Mountain and screamed in pure terror. People snapped their heads upwards and saw that the tip of the mountain was glowing a bright orange, as if the mountain was going to spew holy fire upon the city. The tip finally split open in two as though the gods themselves were tearing it apart. And from the crack rose a monstrosity that was indescribable. It shrieked, a sound so full of hate and fury that caused the townspeople to cover their ears, and flew into the distance.

* * *

They attacked at nighttime. When Elsa heard from the captain that they were approaching Weaselton, she tensed up, along with Asle and Nuri. And suddenly, she saw three ships emerge from a wall of mist, flying the Weaselton flag. Elsa, Asle, and Nuri all prepared for a fight.

_(The Kraken, Hans Zimmer)_

One of the ships launched a salvo of cannon fire that tore through the ship like a hot knife through butter. Regaining his balance, Nuri launched a fireball towards the attacking ship and set the night alight with a golden glow. The attacking ship began to burn as the fire spread. Elsa froze the boards of another ship while Asle created spears of ice from the sea and stabbed the final ship. The third ship tore itself to pieces on the ice spears and was reduced to kindling in a matter of seconds. The second ship rammed into the Arendelle ship and black-armored men swarmed onto the ship like bugs. Nuri created a wall of flame that held them back. Elsa and Asle created swords of ice within her hands just as Nuri's flame barrier gave out. The two women charged towards the soldiers and met them in battle.

Hours of intense training could not have prepared the soldiers for the two icy Valkyries that flew through their ranks, slicing so fine the air itself seemed to bleed. Within a minute, most of the soldiers were dead, save for one, the captain. Asle swung at him, but over-extended her reach. The captain ducked and stuck his axe into Alse's stomach. She grunted in pain and went down. Nuri grabbed him by the throat and about burnt his face with a fireball, but Elsa stopped him. They both nodded to each other. "Where are the other ambassadors?" The captain remained silent. Nuri raised his glowing fist. "How would you like your face? Rare or extra crispy?" At this, the captain's composure broke. "The ambassdors... are to be executed tomorrow in the arena." Nuri lowered his fist and, with all of his might, threw the captain over the edge of the ship. He turned to Elsa, who was tending to Asle.

"Ow" Asle said, and ripped the axe out of her stomach. There was no blood on it, and the wound began to immediately close. Elsa and Nuri stared down at her, dumbstruck. "Remember? Not exactly human?" she said. They both looked at each other, and shrugged. Elsa turned around, and saw that the ship was in flames from the cannon fire. The three of them jumped onto the second Weaselton ship just as the Arendelle ship exploded in a ball of orange flame. When the explosion died away, Nuri turned to Elsa. "Now what?" he asked. Elsa noticed the flag was still flying and were was armor scattered all around. "I have an idea" she said, and explained her daring plan to the rest of the group.

_Hold on, Anna. We're coming to save you._


	8. The Execution

VII

The Execution

_(Love Pledge and The Arena, John Williams)_

Anna was awoken by the sound of grinding metal. She groggily looked up to see the dungeon door fly open and a black shape tossed into the room. Suddenly, her manacles pinning her to the wall released, and she fell onto the floor next to the shape. It was Kristoff, moaning in pain. His face was bruised and cut in several places, as though some wannabe boxer had used him for a punching bag. He groaned and looked into his wife's eyes. He clutched her tight, just as the door opened again. "On your feet, prisoners!" cried a guard as rough hands grabbed her and stood her up. Three guards circled around them like vultures and watched them closely. Kristoff looked over at Anna and whispered. "Well, it's been a ride."

"I know. I love you so much, Kristoff Bjorman. And if we die, so be it. At least I will die with you." She leaned over and the two kissed, holding it for what seemed like an eternity. They were finally broken apart by two guards, and the room was quiet. Suddenly, it lurched straight upwards, as though they all were ascending to heaven. Finally, the rising stopped, and the walls fell down, revealing a metallic arena lined with people on every side. It seemed as though the entire city had come to watch the execution. In front of the couple was a large black box with a hooded soldier standing next to it. To Anna's horror, the hooded soldier was sharping an axe. Suddenly, all movement within the crowd and on the field ceased as trumpets heralded the arrival of the Duke.

The Duke strode into sight, perched in his royal viewing box, standing on a pillow so he peer over the railing of the box. At the sight of the pillow, Anna snickered, a noise that was thankfully unheard by the soldiers. The Duke waved his hands, and the crowd fell silent. "Today, proud citizens of Weaselton, we are gathered here today to witness the execution of two insidious tresspassers. Their names are not important, only the justice. What do you say?" The crowd roared so loud that hurt Anna's ears. "It is settled then. Begin the executions" the Duke announced. Anna and Kristoff were herded forward towards the waiting headsman. He was clad in all black from head to toe, and Anna couldn't see his face. Two assistants flanked him, both masked and unfeeling. "Ladies first" the headsman said. Anna knelt down on the ground, and laid her neck on the block. She closed her eyes and waited for the end to follow quickly.

But it didn't. She opened one eye and saw that the headsman had moved up his mask, revealing only his mouth. "Princess?" he said, and then broke into a clear, unmistakable voice that Anna had no trouble recognizing:_ "Do you want to build a snowman?"_ Anna smiled. "Yes." Her sister the headsman drove the axe into the neck of the nearest soldier. The headsman's assistants ripped off their masks, revealing Nuri and... was that Asle? They unsheathed their swords and made short work of the soldiers. By then, the crowd was on their feet, roaring at the top of their lungs. The Duke stood up, and waved his hands once more. Guards poured into the area from the crowd and surrounded the five.

The soldiers were knocked off their feet by blasts of ice and fire. Anna and Kristoff grabbed swords from the fallen soldiers and began to fend off the soldiers themselves. Time slowed, and all Anna thought about was stabbing, swinging, dodging and parrying. After what seemed to be forever, the waves of soldiers began to slow and finally stop. Many of the bodies were scorched, impaled with ice, and limbless. Blood was everywhere, oozing from all of the bodies. Anna looked around and noticed that the crowd was silent. The Duke still stood on top of his pillow, face contorted into one of pure rage. Elsa called up to the Duke, almost mockingly. "We are here to discuss your assassinations attempts on me, Duke. And let me say this: _I am not amused._" She unfurled her bright blue hands and waved them over her head. Snowflakes began to fall onto the area floor.

Suddenly, an ungodly shriek arose from the sky. Looking up, Anna saw a large black shape blotting out the sun. She and the rest of the group took steps back as The Demon of the North Mountain landed in the middle of the arena, ready for vengeance. It sniffed the air, turned around, and reached one massive into the Duke's private box, dangling the Duke by one foot. "Appetizers" he said. "NO! Let me go, fiend! I am the Duke of Weaselton and I will not be treated like some animAAAAAAA-" he cried as the Demon opened his mouth and swallowed him whole. He burped, and cringed as though he had been sucking on a lemon. He turned back to the group, and spoke in his insane monotone voice: "Now for the main course.


	9. End of the Line

VIII

End of the Line

_(Duel of the Fates, John Williams)_

"I have long awaited this moment, Snow Queen. I can taste your fear like sweet wine on my lips. You know you cannot defeat me, even with your family helping you" The Demon said, licking his lips. Oh how he would enjoy destroying her, the insolent girl that had shamed him and cast him into the fires of a thousand suns! Silence arose from the group before Nuri stepped forward. "You have become so blind in your quest that you have forgotten its true purpose, _Sorcerer._ I am the one you want, not her."

"NO!" he shrieked, swiping a meaty claw downwards at the Fire King. He rolled out of the way as the fist smashed the earth and left a dent in the arena floor. Anna quickly glanced around and noticed that all of the spectators had fled their seats in fear of their lives. Elsa took a sword of ice from her hand and threw it like a javelin at the Demon. It embedded itself in the fist, and the Demon roared in pain. He leaned back on his haunches, then launched himself forward at the group, which scattered. Elsa, Nuri, and Asle were left fighting the Demon with every bit of magic and skill at their disposal while Anna and Kristoff were knocked backwards. Nuri launched a fireball that hit the Demon just below the eye. He roared and the ground split open as skeletons crawled out of it and swarmed towards the band of fighters. Elsa waved her arms and froze the skeletons in their place. Anna and Kristoff ran forwards, swords in arms, and smashed the frozen skeletons.

The Demon screamed in rage "I WILL SMITE YOU ALL!" he shouted, and pounded the ground. Three figures rose from the ground, and Anna screamed in terror. Their faces had mostly rotted off, but Anna saw her mother, father, and Hans slowly shamble towards them. Elsa gasped and lost her footing, shocked that the Demon would stoop this low to defeat them. Asle, Nuri, and Kristoff grimly smiled and stepped to meet the undead challengers. Asle froze Idun and smashed her to bits, Nuri set Adgar alight with a flick of his wrist, and Kristoff jammed his sword into Hans' throat and twisted, knocking the traitor's head into the sand. Justice had been done.

Elsa moved forward to pick up the traitor's head as Kristoff tended to Anna and made sure she was okay. Elsa glared into his lifeless eyes, and felt the year and a half of pent-up rage release. She took the head and punted it out of the area. The group watched the head sail out of the area, and along with it, the rage of a scorned queen. The Demon slammed his fists into the earth again. It shook, but nothing happened. Nuri then noticed that the ground beneath Elsa was beginning to glow green. "ELSA!" he cried, ran forward, and threw her out of the way just as green hellfire broke through the surface of the ground and burned Nuri alive.

Two screams were heard: the sound of a man set on fire by magic, and his lover, clutching her cheeks in despair. The fires receded, leaving only a charred Nuri swaying uncertainly. After a few heartbeats, he pitched forwards and crumpled on the sandy floor. Kristoff grabbed Elsa and began to cradle her in his arms. The Demon took one look at the smoldering body, and then laughed, a booming, unholy sound that sent shivers down the spine of the entire group. "Killed by his own magic. How... pathetic." He closed on the group, fangs bared. Asle stood in front of him. He laughed again. "My former servant. You think you can kill me?"

"I will kill you, _Master" _Asle said, and charged forward. In one swift motion, The Demon scooped her up in one fist and threw her onto the ground. She felt ribs and bones snap within her, and she cried out. The Demon raised his fist and smashed her into the ground. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust" he said. He raised his head towards the heavens. "I AM INVINCIBLE!" he roared. Elsa glared up at him and tried to charge forward, but was restrained by her family. Tears were streaming down her face.

_(The Phoenix, Fall Out Boy)_

And there was a groan. Elsa stopped struggling and saw the charred Nuri rise. He looked directly at the Demon, who was staring in a mixture of confusion and awe, and smiled. "Second wind. It's time to fight fire with fire" he said, and then clapped his hands twice. In a instant Nuri was gone, replaced by a giant glowing red bird. Elsa recognized it as a phoenix, and all of her broken resolve was instantly repaired. She created two ice swords and charged directly at the Demon as Nuri swooped forwards and tried to claw at the Demon's eyes. The Demon warded off the bird with the swipe of his claw, but could not defend himself from Elsa's brutal ice attacks.

Try all he could, The Demon could not keep himself defended on two fronts: ground and air. Finally, after several minutes, he fell to eye level with Elsa. He looked her in the eyes, and she stared back. He attempted to speak, but was stopped when Elsa took both ice swords and stabbed him right between the eyes. The Demon of the North Mountain breathed his last, and knew no more.


	10. Die to Live

IX

Die to Live

Elsa stood back, admiring her handiwork. The Phoenix landed next to her, and in a feat of magic, suddenly transformed back into Nuri. They embraced each other for what felt like an eternity. There was a moan from behind them. Elsa turned around and saw a hand appear out of the crater that the Demon had formed. One hand turned into two hands, and Elsa felt a sick feeling in her stomach. She rushed over to the hole, gently grasped one of the hands, and yanked Asle out of her purposed tomb. Asle coughed, and to Elsa's horror it was warm, sticky blood. This blood was black, however.

"She's dying" she told Nuri. Asle looked up at Elsa with big wet eyes. Anna and Kristoff stood grimly, watching her final moments play out. "Elsa?... I think... you can help me" she said. "Freeze... my heart."

"I can't do that. I don't want to kill you" Elsa replied. Alse coughed up more blood. "I'm dying anyways. Desperate times... call for desperate measures." She closed her eyes. Elsa looked back at the rest of the group, then back at her split personality. Closing her eyes, she thrust her forward, and cast a shard of ice into Asle's heart. Her eyes suddenly flew open as she gasped. Her body seized up, then came crashing back down. Elsa held her breath. For thirty seconds, nothing happened. Then, black mist began to float down Asle's arms, coating her.

Her eyes fluttered open lightly. She breathed, and leaned up to hug Elsa. She clutched Elsa's shoulders and whispered "Thank you." Tears rolled down Elsa's face and buried themselves into Asle's dress. A hand fell upon her back, and Nuri spoke the thought on everybody's mind: "Let's go home."

* * *

When the "borrowed" boat arrived back at Arendelle, the first thing that struck Elsa was the upbeat feeling of the town, like some great weight had been lifted. Not even before they had gotten off of the boat, Olaf and Sven were there. Olaf had fashioned himself a makeshift crown of twigs. He ran up to Elsa and hugged her tightly. Sven looked at Kristoff with increasing disdain before snorting. "Look buddy, I'm still sorry for leaving you here." He reached into his satchel. "How about a nice carrot to cheer you up?" At the sight of the bright orange carrot, Sven's eyes lit up. In one swift motion, he snatched the carrot out of Kristoff's hand, and within three bites, it was gone. Kristoff chuckled and lightly took Anna's hand in his. Elsa and Nuri looked at each other. "I love you, Nuri. What you did back there... it was incredible."

He shrugged it off. "It wasn't just for you, Elsa. All those years of vengeance... gone. I feel free now. Thank you" At that moment, they kissed. And in that single moment, time stopped as the stars aligned. They broke off from the kiss. "What now? No more assassins, or monsters, or nightmares for that matter." Nuri contemplated the remark for a minute before responding. "We relax" he said, the ghost of a grin touching his lips. Elsa threw back her head and laughed, a sound that had never sounded so good to Nuri's ears. Asle smirked. "I ought to find myself some love. Or something like that, I dunno." The entire group walked towards the castle. Passing through the streets, Elsa also noticed that everything seemed to be intact. Not one thing was out of place. Elsa breathed a sigh of relief. All was right with the world. For once.


End file.
